Method and machine for the production of cigarette packs or the like

ABSTRACT

A cigarette packing machine wherein empty packs or their component parts are withdrawn from the respective magazines only when a detector determines the presence of a block of cigarettes which are being transported to a pack filling station. The detector then causes the transfer of a prefabricated empty pack from its magazine to the filling station or the conversion of one or more blanks into an empty pack and the transfer of such pack to the filling station. Each block of cigarettes is introduced into and enclosed in that pack whose transfer from the magazine to the filling station or whose making from one or more blanks was initiated in response to detection of the particular block.

United States Patent 1 Kruse et al.

[451 Aug. 7, 1973 i 1 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CIGARETTE PACKS OR THE LIKE [73] Assignee: Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. KG,

Hamburg, Germany 221 Filed: Oct. 28, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 84,857

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 29, 1969 Great Britain 53,015/69 [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS I i a I it) Niepmann 53/[83 a i I 198 Gianese 53/29 X Sherrill et al. 53/29 X Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr. Assistant Examiner-E. F. Desmond Attorney-Michael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT A cigarette packing machine wherein empty packs or their component parts are withdrawn from the respective magazines only when a detector determines the presence of a block of cigarettes which are being transported to a pack filling station. The detector then causes the transfer of a prefabricated empty pack from its magazine to the filling station or the conversion of one or more blanks into an empty pack and the transfer of such pack to the filling station. Each block of cigarettes is introduced into and enclosed in that pack whose transfer from the magazine to the filling station or whose making from one or more blanks was initiated in response to detection of the particular block.

30 Claims, 47 Drawing Figures PATENFEB A133 7 3 7 50, 676

SHEET 01 DF i4 BNVENTORSI ATTORNEY PNENIEDAUE H975 3150 67 6 saw 020F144 INVENTORSZ Fawn 15 4 Q may Quosz; 01/

ATTORNEY PAIENTH] AUG 7 I875 SHEET 03 0F 14 INVENTORS: ug-05 ZBHSF Gum-en 1/4/10; arroez M ATTORNEY PATENTEBAUE 7 sm- SHEET 07 0F 14 INVENTQRS! PAIENTEDAUR 1W SHEET 08 0F 14 INVENTORSZ 54/6956 li I gavel 4 0/4 p 7'; 1 MM 4} m4 7 {41/52/1441 Ill/A L:

ATTORNEY PAIENTED 3,750,676

saw 0811f 14 INVENTORSZ Fl 7 54 Kit/f4 ATTORNEY PAIENIEBM 3.750.876

sum 11HF14 INVENTORSZ ATTORNEY METHOD AND MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CIGARETTE PACKS OR THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and to a machine for the making of packs or analogous containers for groups of cigarettes or other commodities. More particularly the invention relates to improvements in a method and machine for the making, filling and closing of soft packs, hinged-lid packs, or analogous containers for reception of groups of cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos cheroots and/or other commodities.

Packing machines constitute important components of production lines for plain or filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and/or other tobacco-containing products. Reliability is one of the most important requirements which must be met by a modern packing machine, especially if the packing machine is to receive the output of one or more high-speed machines for the production of plain or filter cigarettes, as well as when the packing machine is directly coupled to one or more high-speed producing machines. Even short-lasting interruptions in the operation of a packing machine can cause substantial losses in output and costly interruptions in the operation of associated producing machines. Since a producing machine (for example, a machine for the mass-production of plain or filter cigarettes) is much more likely to require attention than a packing machine, the number of attendants in a production line for cigarette packs is normally selected in such a way that each attendant is practically continuously occupied with the producing machine or machines and can give little attention to packing machine or machines which receive the-output of the corresponding producing machines. For example, a modern cigarette making machine consumes a bobbin of cigarette paper within a few minutes so that the expiring web must be spliced to the leading end of a fresh web at frequent intervals. If

the splicing-devices which are used in the cigarette,

making machines must be manipulated by hand, an attendant must be present almost continuously to make sure that a fresh reel of cigarette paper is at hand and that the leading end of the web on the fresh reel is spliced to the expiring web without excessive delay. Since a cigarette making machine can produce up to 4,000 cigarettes per minute, even short-lasting interruptions in its operation must be avoided whenever possible. The attendant who is in charge of a cigarette making machine must further supervise the supply of adhesive in the paster which delivers adhesive to the running web of cigarette paper, check the delivery of shredded tobacco to the distributor of the machine, and perform certain other operations so that his or her attention is mostly focussed on the producing machines. Therefore, the packing machines which receive the output of mass-producing cigarette making machines are preferably constructed and controlled in such a way that they are arrested in automatic response to stoppage ofthe corresponding producing machine or machines and that they are started in automatic response to starting of such producing machines, regardless of whether the producing machines are arrested due to a defect or on purpose.

A drawback of presently known direct connections between the controls of producing and packing machines is that a packing machine is likely to be arrested while its parts perform an operation which must be completed in order to avoid the making of a defective pack. For example, if a strip of conventional (wet) adhesive is left exposed for a certain period of time, it is likely to set or dry so that it cannot properly connect two overlapping portions of a pack when the packing machine resumes its operation. Analogously, it is undesirable to interrupt certain folding, tucking or like operations which are carried out in the packing machine to convert one or more blanks into a pack, for example, into a pack containing an inner envelope consisting of tinfoil and an outer envelope consisting ofplastic, paper or cardboard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of making, filling and sealing packs for cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or other types of commodities, particularly for the making of packs which are to receive commodities as soon as they issue from one or more producing machines, such as machines for the production of plain or filter cigarettes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of making, filling and sealing cigarette packs or like containers for tobacco-containing products or other commodities according to which the quality of packs is not dependent on the frequency and length of interruptions in the operation of machines which produce commodities for introduction into. such containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method according to which packs or analogous containers for tobacco-containing products or other commodities can be producedwith a high degree of uniformity and with a minimum of waste in the material of packs as well as in commodities which are to be received in the packs.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved packing machine, particularly a machine for packing groups or blocks of rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles, which can be directly coupled to one or more producing machines and requires a minimum of supervision so that the attendant or attendants can concentrate on the supervision and servicing of the producing machines.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a packing machine which can store a desired number of empty packs for immediate reception of commodities as soon as the associated packing machine or machines are started and which can continue to produce packs during the periods of idleness of producing machines.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a packing machine which can be combined with existing producing machines, whose operation is fully automatic, which can be started and/or arrested without any attention on the part of workmen, and which can process the output of one or more high-speed producing machines, particularly machines for the production of plain cigarettes, filter cigarettes and/or other tobacco-containing products.

An ancillary object of the invention is to provide the improved packing machine with novel means for the formation and feeding of blanks which are used for the making of empty containers, for the transport of parts on which the blanks are deformed to form empty packs, for temporary storage of empty containers, for scanning of containers for the presence or absence of defects, and for performing several other operations which contribute to the reliability, higher output and versatility of the packing machine.

Still another-object of the invention is to provide the packing machine with a novel control system which insures that the packing machine is stopped without any supervision and in an optimum position of each of its component parts when such stoppage is dictated by the condition of the associated producing machine or machines, and that the packing machine is started without any supervision as soon as the starting becomes desirable in view of the condition of the associated producing machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packing machine which can produce acceptable containers when it operates continuously or when its operation is interrupted at frequent or infrequent intervals.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a packing machine which is particularly suited for the packing of cigarettes or other rod-shaped tobaccocontaining products as soon as they issue from one or more producing machines.

The method of the present invention can be emplayed for the making, filling and treatment of containers, particularly packs for reception of groups of rodshaped tobacco containing articles or analogous commodities, and comprises the steps of conveying commodities along a first path (for example, in the cells of an endless chain or analogous transporting means), scanning the first path (for example, by a photosensitive detector) to detect the presence or absence of commodities in a selected portion of the path, establishing at least one source of deformable bodies each of which constitutes at least a portion ofa container (such source may include two or more discrete sources of blanks which can be converted into containers or a supply of prefabricated empty containers), withdrawing from the source a body in response to detection of a commodity in the first path and conveying the thus withdrawn body along at least one second path into-a third path, conveying the thus transferred body and the corresponding commodity (namely, that commodity whose detection triggered the withdrawal of the respective body from the source) to a filling station, assembling the commodity with the body at'the filling station (if the body is a finished empty container, the assembling step comprises introducing the commodity into the container), and thereupon subjecting tee resulting assembly (e.g., a filled container) to at least one treatment which may include closing and sealing the open end of the filled container and/or the application of a tax stamp if the commodities are arrays of rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles such as plain or filter cigarettes.

A feature of the just described method resides in that the commodity whose detection triggered the introduction of a body into the third path is thereupon assembled with the thus introduced body, i.e., that the with drawal ofa body from the source takes place only when a commodity (namely, the scanned commodity) is certain to arrive at the filling station.

If the container comprises several components, for example, an envelope consisting of tinfoil and an envelope consisting of paper, plastic or cardboard, each such component is withdrawable from a discrete source along a separate second path. The withdrawing step then comprises withdrawing components from the respective discrete sources and conveying the thus withdrawn components along the respective second paths and into the third path. The method then also comprises the step of deforming the components to convert them into an empty container at least during transport along the third path so that the body which reaches the filling station is an empty container which is ready to receive the corresponding commodity.

Furthermore, if the containers are assembled of several components, the withdrawal of at least one of the components from the respective discrete source takes place prior to withdrawal of another component. This renders it possible to at least partially deform the one component prior to its assembly with the other component. For example, if the one component is a tinfoil blank, it can be converted into a tube or into an openended envelope prior to draping therearound of a paper blank which is thereupon converted into an outer envelope at least partially surrounding the tinfoil envelope. The two envelopes together constitute an openended empty container which can receive the corre sponding commodity when it reaches the filling station.

The method preferably further comprises the step of regulating the speed of transport of the body and of the corresponding commodity in such a way that the body reaches the filling station simultaneously with the corresponding commodity.

if the aforementioned bodies constitute prefabricated empty containers, the method preferably further comprises the steps of establishing at least one source of deformable sheet-like blanks, withdrawing such blanks from the respective source and converting the thus withdrawn blanks into empty containers which are accumulated in the first mentioned source. The withdrawal of blanks from the respective source can take place in response to detection of commodities or independently of such detection, i.e., the containers can be fabricated only in'response to detection of commodities or independnetly of the transport of commodities along the first path. If the containers are produced independently of the transport of commodities, the first mentioned source may constitute of magazine or reservoir wherein the empty containers are stored and are ready to be withdrawn in immediate response to detection of commodities along the first path. In each instance, the detected commodity is introduced into that container whose arrival at the filling station was caused by such detected commodity.

in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the method, the commodities and the bodies are transported in stepwise fashion, preferably in such a way that each transport takes up a first predetermined interval of time, and that each stepwise advance is' followed by a second predetermined interval of dwell. If the empty containers are formed by blanks which undergo deformation, coating with adhesive, heating, cooling and/or other treatments during travel along the second and/or third paths, each such treat- .ment is preferably started and terminated during a period of time which does not exceed the combined length of a first and a second interval. This is desirable in order to insure that freshly applied adhesive cannot be exposed for extended periods of time. In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the stepwise advances of commodities and bodies and the aforementioned treatment or treatments of blanks in the third and/or second paths cannot be interrupted so that each stepwise advance is completed and each treatment is also completed before the operation of the machine which is constructed for the practice of our method can be interrupted or terminated. This reduces the number of rejects and the likelihood of damage to or contamination of the machine. 7

The adhesive which is applied to one or more selected portions of the bodies, for example, to selected portions of paper blanks which are thereupon converted into outer envelopes of cigarette packs, can be a wet adhesive which sets in response to heating or a heat-activatable adhesive which produces a reliable bond in response to heating and, if necessary, in response to subsequent cooling.

In accordance with still another feature of our method, the commodities are introduced into the first path as soon as or immediately after they are produced. This can be achieved by delivering the output of one or more cigarette machines or other producing machines directly to the conveyor which transports the commodities past the detecting or scanning station. The method can be practiced with particular advantage for the making of packs containing arrays of plain cigarettes, filter cigarettes, plain or filter cigars or cigarillos and/or other rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved packing machine itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying 'drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWING FIG. 4 (composed of FIGS. 40 and 4b) is an enlarged perspective view of essential component parts of the novel packing machine;

FIG. 4a is a perspective view of a pack filling unit in the packing machine of FIGS. 40 and 4b;

FIG. 4d is a perspective view of a transfer unit in the packing machine of FIGS. 40 and 4b;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a mandrel in the packing machine of FIGS. 4a and 4b;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic partly sectional view of certain parts of a blank forming apparatus in the packing machine of FIGS. 4a and 4b;

FIG.7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a cam in the structure of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 (composed of FIGS. 80, 8b, 8c.and 8d) is a sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 6 and illustrates various stages in the conversion of a tinfoil blank into a tube in the apparatus of FIG. 6;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG.

Flg. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of a draping member for deformation of paper blanks in the packing machine of FIGS. 4a and 41;;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a tucking device in the packing machine of FIGS. 40 and 4b;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a portion of a tax stamp applicator in the packing machine of FIGS. 4a and 4b;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the drive for the moving parts of the packing machine shown in FIGS. 40 and 4b;

FIG.13 (composed'of FIGS. 13a, l3band 13c) illustrates the control system of the packing machine shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b;

,FIG. 14 (including the portions 14;: 14k and l4m-14s) illustrates the conversion of two blanks into an empty pack, the filling of the pack, the closing of the filled pack, and the application of a tax stamp to the closed pack in the packing machine of FIGS. 4a and 4b;

FIG. 15 (composed of FIGS. 15a and 15b) is a perspective view of essential component essential component parts of a second packing machine which constitutes a modification of the machine shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b;

FIG. 15c is a perspective view of a pack filling unit in the packing machine of FIGS. 15a and 15b;

FIG. 15d is a perspective view of a transfer unit in the packing machine ofFIGS. 15a and 15b; and

FIG. 16 (componsed of FIGS. 16a, 16b and 16c) illustrates the control system of the packing machine shown in FIGS. 15a and 15b.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a production line for the manufacture of packs containing arrays of filter cigarettes. The production line includes two seriesconnected producing machines and two seriesconnected consuming machines. The producing machines include a cigarette rod making machine 1, for example, a machine of the type known as GARANT (produced by the firm HAUNl-WERKE, KORBER & CO. KG, 205 Hamburg 80, Western Germany) and a filter tipping machine 2, for example, a machine of the type known as MAX (manufactured by HAUNI- WERKE, KORBER & CO. KG). The connection between the two producing machines is established by a rotary transfer drum 3 which receives plain cigarettes from the machine 1 and transfers such cigarettes into the filter tipping machine 2. It is clear that the two producing machines can be replaced with other types of producing machines without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The filter tipping machine 2 discharges filter cigarettes into a magazine 4 which is provided with a transfer member or pusher 7 reciprocable in directions indicated by a double-headed arrow 6 and serving to-transfer groups or blocks of filter cigarettes into successive cells 9 of an endless transporting chain 11. Each group i chine 12 here shown as a packing machine which serves to produce open empty packs 41 (see FIGS. 4a and 4b) and thereupon introduces groups 8 into such empty packs to convert them into filled packs and closes the open end of each filled pack to form a closed or sealed pack 201 (FIG. 4b). The packing machine 12 is further provided with a device (hereupon called applicator and numbered 199 in FIG. 4b) which serves to apply to one end of each closed pack 201 a tax stamp 202. The thus stamped packs 201 are thereupon introduced into a second consuming machine 13 which also constitutes a packing machine and serves to provide each pack 201 with a transparent envelope consisting of synthetic plastic material and preferably provided with a customary tear strip.

The packs 41 which are produced in the first packing machine 12 are so-called soft packs. In the embodiment which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 13, the packing machine 12 is designed to formsoft empty packs 41 each of which comprises two envelopes or layers, namely, an inner layer consisting of tinfoil, and an outer layer consisting of paper which is preferably provided with suitable printed matter including the trade mark, the name of the manufacturer, the customary warning of the dangerous nature of tobacco, and other printed matter and/or symbols.

The second packing machine 13 may be of the type known as TRABANT (produced by HAUNI-WERKE). The details of the second packing machine 13 and the details of the producing machines 1 and 2 form no part of the present invention. An important feature of the production line shown in FIG. 1 is that the second producing machine 2 delivers groups 8 of arrayed rodshaped articles 22 directly to the receiving end of a path U (see FIG. 4b) defined by the chain 11 and a further conveyor 36 and serving for transport of groups 8 to the pack filling station C of the packing machine 12. The details of the packing machine 12 are illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 13.

The magazine 4 of FIGS. 2 and 3 forms part of the packing machine 12 and comprises a receptacle of hopper 14 the upper portion of which receives filter cigarettes 22 from a conveyor belt 23 which preferably receives filter cigarettes directly from the filter tipping machine 2. The lower portion of the hopper 14 is provided with two vertical internal partitions or walls 16 and 17 which define with the outer walls of the lower portion of the hopper three parallel vertical ducts 18,

19, 21 each of which can accommodate a stack or row of parallel horizontal filter cigarettes 22. For the sake of simplicity, the commodities which are packed by the machine 12 will hereinafter be referred to as cigarettes.

FIGS. 2 and 3 further show the details of the chain 11. This chain comprises a set of cells 9 which are coupled to each other by means of links 24 and are arranged to travel about two sprocket wheels of which only the sprocket wheel 27 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 further shows that the periphery of the sprocket wheel 27 is provided with sockets 26 each of which can receive a portion of a cell 9 so that the chain 11 cannot slip with reference to the sprocket wheel. The sprocket wheel 27 is located behind the lower portion of the hopper 14, as viewed in FIG. 2, and the pusher 7 (see particularly FIG. 3) has three parallel plate-like prongs each of which can enter into and be retracted from one of the ducts 18, 19, 21. When the pusher 7 performs a working stroke (upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 3), its

prongs expel a group 8 into the adjacent empty cell 9.

The magazine 4 is further provided with three photoelectric detectors or level indicators 28, 29, 31 which respectively serve to scan an uppermost, a medium and a lowermost level of cigarettes 22 in the hopper 14. The purpose of the detectors 28, 29 and 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 13a, 13b and 130. It suffices to say here that each of the detectors 28, 29, 31 comprises a light source which is mounted in one wall of the hopper 14 (see FIG. 3) and a photosensitive receiver which is in registry with the respective light source and is mounted in the opposite wall of the hopper 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 4a and 4b, there are shown all important components of the packing machine 12. The path along which the transporting means, namely, the endless chain 11 and the conveyor 36, transports the groups 8 of arrayed cigarettes 22 is denoted by the reference character U. The second sprocket wheel for the chain 11 is shown at 33. This sprocket wheel is driven at regular intervals in the direction indicated by arrow 32 and is provided with sockets 34 for portions of the cells 9 so that the chain 11 cannot slip with refer ence to the sprocket wheel 33. The drive which indexes the sprocket wheel 33 at regular intervals will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 4b illustrates a transfer station A wherethe contents (groups 8) of filled cells 9 are evacuated by a transfer member or pusher 37 to be introduced into successive chambers 39 of the conveyor 36. This conveyor is a turret which serves to subject the groups 8 to a condensing or compacting action. The pusher 37 receives motion from a piston rod 38 forming part of a pneumatic cylinder 416 shown in FIG. 13b. The construction of the turret 36 is similar to that of the condensing or compacting conveyor described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,608,163. In addition to serving as a part of transporting means for delivery of groups 8 of cigarettes 22 to the transfer station A, the chain 11 also serves as a magazine for storage of a predetermined number of groups 8. The number of such groups may vary but the maximum number is determined by the number of cells 9 which can be accommodated between the station where the cells receive groups 8 from the pusher 7 and the station A where the pusher 37 delivers such groups into the chambers 39 of the condensing or compacting turret 36.

The packing machine 12 further comprises three additional basic assemblies, namely, one or more sources of deformable blanks consisting of sheet material (such sources together constitute a blank supplying means), and a converting assembly which receives blanks from the blank supplying means and deforms such blanks while the blanks travel along a predetermined path V to convert each blank into an open-ended empty pack 41, and a transporting assembly which transports empty packs 41 along at least-one endless path Y wherein the empty packs circulate and are ready to be united or assembled with groups 8 which are expelled or removed from successive chambers 39 of the compacting turret 36. As stated before, each empty pack 41 comprises two envelopes one of which is telescoped into the other and consists of tinfoil. The outer envelope of each empty pack 41 consists of paper. Such packs are known as soft packs.

The converting assembly comprises a conveyor here shown as a turret 42 which is indexible at predetermined intervals and receives blanks from the blank supplying means. The aforementioned path V is defined by the turret 42 which is provided with and/or travels along suitable deforming devices which subject the blanks to a series of deforming actions in order to con vert such blanks into the respective envelopes of empty packs 41. The deforming devices include draping, tucking and folding members which will be described later. Furthermore, the converting assembly comprises at least one paster which can apply adhesive to selected portions of paper blanks so as to insure that, upon deformation of selected portions of paper blanks, the portions which overlap are caused to adhere to each other and are held by the adhesive with a force which is sufficient to insure that the pack 41 does not open during subsequent processing in the packing machine 12.

The turret 42 of the converting assembly isprovided with a set of radially extending axially parallel mandrels 43 which are indexible to travel stepwise along the path V and to which the blanks are applied to be converted thereon into inner and outer envelopes so that they together form empty packs 41. The details of a mandrel 43 are illustrated in FIGS. 4d and 5. As shown, the walls of each mandrel 43 are formed with suction ports 44. The inner ends of the suction ports 44 communicate with longitudinally extending suction channels 46, 47 provided in the respective mandrel 43, and the discharge ends of the channels 46, 47 can communicate with suction grooves 48, 49 provided in a stationary valve plate 51 which is adjacent to the path V.'The grooves 48, 49 are connected with a suitable suction generating device, for example, with a suction fan. As the turret 42 travels about its axis, selected suction channels 46, 47 are moved into or from communication with the grooves 48, 49 to thereby connect or disconnect the suction ports 44 of the respective mandrel 43 from the suction fan.

One narrow side of each mandrel 43 is provided with two permanent magnets 52, 53 which are recessed into, the respective wall of-the mandrel. The purpose of the magnets 52, 53 is to temporarily attract a folding member which will be described later. The outer end face of each mandrel 43 is provided with a recess 54 for a reciprocable pack stripping member or plunger 56. The plunger 56 is provided with a rod or stem 57 which is movable in a centrally located longitudinally extending bore of the mandrel 43 and is surrounded by a helical spring 59 which tends to retract the plunger 56 to the position shown in FIG. 5. The spring 59 reacts against an internal surface of the body of the mandrel 43 and bears against a ring-shaped flange 48 provided at that end of the rod 57 which is remote from the plunger 56. The means for moving the plunger 56 in the direction indicated by an arrow 61 shown in FIG. 5 comprises a pneumatic cylinder 63 shown in FIG. 4d. The cylinder 63 comprises a piston rod 62 which can engage the free end of the rod 57 to expel the plunger 56 from the recess 54 against the opposition of the helical spring 59. the cylinder 63 is stationary; it is mounted adjacent to the path of mandrels 43 and at a point where the flanged ends of the rods 57 donot travel along the stationary valve plate 51. The cylinder 63 is of the doubleacting type and its tubular body 64 comprises two ports 66, 67 one of which admits fluid when the other port permits fluid to escape from the respective chamber and vice versa. The stationary valve plate 51 extends along that portion of the path V which is indicated in FIG. 4a by the broken line 68.

The aforementioned blank supplying means of the converting assembly comprises a blank forming apparatus 69 which is shown in FIGS. 4a, 4b and 6. The purpose of'the blank forming apparatus 69 is to deliver to the mandrels 43 of the turret 42 a succession of tinfoil blanks 71 which are supplied along a path W. Such blanks 71 are delivered to successive mandrels 43 at the transfer station B shown in FIG. 4a. In the first stage of deformation of a blank 71, the blank is draped around the respective mandrel 43 to form a tube open at both ends. I

The blank forming apparatus 69 comprises a feeding device 72 including two driven rollers 72a, 72b which advance a web 73 of tinfoil lengthwise along the path W. The web 73 is drawn from a bobbin or reel, not shown, and passes through a suitable magazine with dancer rolls, not shown, which prevent excessive tensioning of web. The drive for the rollers 72a, 72b of the feeding device 72 comprises shafts 74a, 74b (shown at the top of FIG. 4b). The severing device which cuts the web 73 at regular intervals to form a succession of tinfoil blanks 71 comprises a knife 76. A suction plate 81, provided with suction ports 79 and suction channels 77, 78 shown in FIG. 6, is positioned adjacent to the path W'to temporarily retain the web 73 and the tinfoil blank 71 during transport toward the path V.

The apparatus 69 further comprises a carrier 83 which is movable up and down in ways 82 and is provided with two rigidly mounted draping elements'or wings 84, 86. It is to be noted that the parts 81, 83, 84 and 86are shown in proper positions with reference to each other in FIG. 4a but not in FIG. 6. The carrier 83 is provided with a suction channel 87 shown in FIG. 6. The suction channel 87 communicates with suction channels 88 provided in the draping elements 84, 86, and the suction channels 88'communicate with suction ports 89 of the draping elements 84, 86. FIG. 6 further shows the edge faces 91 of the draping elements 84, 86. The distance between the edge faces 91 is denoted by the reference numeral 92and corresponds to the width 43a (see FIG. 4b) of a mandrel 43. The draping elements 84 and 86 together form a substantially U- shaped draping member 93 (see FIG. 6) whose function is to convert an originally flat tinfoil blank 71 into a U-shaped body which ispartially draped around the respective mandrel 43. The arrangement is such that the tinfoil blank 71 which is severed from the web 73 by the knife 76 overlies the suction ports ports 89 of the draping elements 84, 86 and the space between their edge faces 91. The mandrel 43 is thereupon advanced through the space between the edge faces 91 whereby the tinfoil blank 71 is automatically draped around three surfaces of the mandrel.

The carrier 83 is movable up and down by a diskshaped cam 94 (see the top of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). The cam 94 has a specially configurated endless cam groove 97 (see FIG. 7) which receives a roller follower 96 provided on the carrier 83.

The means for regulating and timing the movements of the knife 76 and carrier 83 in the apparatus 69 comprises a control arrangement 98 which is shown in FIG. 6. The control arrangement 98 comprises a switch 99 which is connected in the circuit of the packing machine 12. The switch 99 can transmit signals to a pulse shaper 101 which is connected with one input of a logical circuit 102 of a type known as flip-flop. The pulse shaper 101 is designed to furnish to the flip-flop 102 

1. A method of making, filling and treating containers, particularly packs for the reception of groups of rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles or analogous commodities, comprising the steps of conveying commodities along a first path; scanning said first path for the presence and absence of commodities; establishing at least one source of deformable bodies each of which constitutes at least a portion of a container; withdrawing a body from said source only in response to detection of a commodity in said first path and conveying the thus withdrawn body along at least one second path into a third path; transporting the thus conveyed body and the corresponding commodity to an assembling station; assembling the commodity with the body at said assembling station; and thereupon subjecting the resulting assembly to at least one treatment.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the containers consist of a plurality of components each of which is withdrawable from a discrete source along a separate second path, said withdrawing step comprising withdrawing components from each of said discrete sources and conveying the thus withdrawn components along the respective second paths into said third path, and further comprising the step of converting such components into an empty container at least during conveying of components along said third path so that the body which reaches said assembling station constitutes an empty container.
 3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said withdrawing step comprises withdrawing one of said components from the respective discrete source prior to withdrawal of another component.
 4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of regulating the speed of transport of said body and the corresponding commodity so that the body reaches the assembling station simultaneously with the corresponding commodity.
 5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said bodies constitute empty containers and further comprising the steps of establishing at least one source of deformable sheet-like blanks, withdrawing blanks from said last mentioned source and converting the thus withdrawn blanks into empty containers, and storing such empty containers in said first mentioned source.
 6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein a withdrawal of blanks from said last mentioned source takes place only in response to detection of a commodity in said first path.
 7. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein said steps of withdrawing blanks from said last mentioned source and converting such blanks into empty containers take place independently of the detection of the presence or absence of commodities in said first path.
 8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said assembling step comprises introducing a detected commodity into that Container which is withdrawn from the first mentioned source in response to detection of said detected commodity.
 9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said commodities and said bodies are conveyed in stepwise fashion.
 10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said commodities and said bodies are conveyed stepwise, always for a first predetermined interval of time, followed by a second predetermined interval of dwell.
 11. A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising the steps of subjecting said bodies to at least one treatment during transport from said source to said assembling station, such treatment being terminated during a period including one of said first and one of said second intervals.
 12. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising the step of producing a signal to effect an interruption of said last mentioned treatment and of said conveying steps, and delaying such interruption until after the elapse of said period.
 13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein said last mentioned treatment comprises the application of adhesive to at least one selected portion of a body and placing of such selected portion into contact with another portion of the respective body prior to elapse of said period.
 14. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein selected portions of said bodies are provided with layers of heat-activatable adhesive and said last mentioned treatment comprises the steps of placing such selected portion of a body into contact with another portion of the respective body and heating the selected portion prior to elapse of said period.
 15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said treatment and said conveying steps are carried out in stages and wherein, once started, each such stage is invariably completed.
 16. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of producing said commodities and immediately introducing the thus produced commodities into said first path.
 17. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said commodities consist of arrays of parallel rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles.
 18. A machine for the making, filling and treatment of containers, particularly packs for groups of rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles or analogous commodities, comprising first transporting means for moving commodities along a first path toward an assembling station; detector means for determining the presence and absence of commodities in said first path; a supply including at least one source of deformable bodies each of which constitutes at least a portion of a container; second transporting means for moving the bodies along a second path toward said assembling station; transfer means operative to transfer from said source a body along a third path into said second path only in response to detection of a commodity by said detector means; means for assembling the thus transferred body at said assembling station with that commodity whose detection caused the operation of said transfer means; and means for subjecting the resulting assembly to at least one treatment.
 19. A machine as defined in claim 18, wherein said supply includes several sources of deformable blanks each of which is convertible into a portion of a container and said transfer means comprises discrete apparatus each arranged to supply to said second transporting means a blank in response to detection of a commodity by said detector means.
 20. A machine for the making, filling and treatment of containers, particularly packs for groups of rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles or analogous commodities, comprising first transporting means for moving commodities along a first path toward a filling station; detector means for determining the presence and absence of commodities in said first path; a supply including several sources of deformable blanks each of which is convertible into a portion of a container; second transporting means for moving the blanks along a second path toward said filling stAtion; transfer means operative to transfer from said sources bodies along a third path and into said second path, said transfer means comprising discrete apparatus each arranged to supply to said second transporting means a blank in response to detection of a commodity by said detector means; means for converting said blanks into a container at least while such blanks are moved by said second transporting means; means for assembling the converted blanks at said filling station with that commodity whose detection caused the operation of said transfer means; and means for subjecting the resulting assembly to at least one treatment.
 21. A machine as defined in claim 18, wherein said assembling means comprises transfer means for transferring containers from said second path to said assembling station and filling means for introducing the corresponding commodities into the containers at said station.
 22. A machine as defined in claim 19, wherein each of said apparatus comprises means for moving blanks from the respective source into said second path.
 23. A machine as defined in claim 18, wherein said bodies are open empty containers and further comprising means for converting blanks into such containers independently of the detection of commodities in said first path.
 24. A machine as defined in claim 18, further comprising drive means for intermittently operating said transporting means and said assembling means.
 25. A machine as defined in claim 24, wherein said drive means comprises means for operating said transporting means for first predetermined intervals of time and for maintaining the transporting means at a standstill for second predetermined intervals of time which alternate with said first intervals.
 26. A machine as defined in claim 25, further comprising means for stopping said drive means and means for preventing stoppage of said drive means prior to completion of a period including one of said first and one of said second intervals.
 27. A machine as defined in claim 26, further comprising paster means operative to coat with an adhesive selected portions of said bodies in said second path and deforming means for placing the thus coated selected portions into contact with other portions of the respective bodies, said drive means comprising means for operating said paster means and said deforming means during each of said periods.
 28. A machine as defined in claim 27, further comprising means for preventing the interruption of operation of said paster means and said deforming means prior to elapse of the respective period.
 29. A machine as defined in claim 18, further comprising at least one producing machine arranged to produce said commodities and to supply the thus produced commodities directly to said first transporting means.
 30. A machine as defined in claim 18, wherein each of said commodities consists of an array of parallel rod-shaped tobacco-containing articles. 